AI Edit or Edit by Hand: Which to Use for a Storyboard Change

Quick answer: Use Edit (by hand) for structure and precise words: adding or removing shots, changing seconds, inserting a character with the @ menu, fixing one word. It is free. Use AI edit (1 credit per revision) when the change is easy to say but tedious to write: a colder tone across the segment, a character taken out of three shots, the weather changed everywhere it is mentioned. The best of both: run AI edit, then Edit by hand from its review to adjust a word before saving.

Still from “Rocket Pup”, an AI short drama generated end-to-end by SceneMixer (7 characters, 1 episode) — Sample: “Rocket Pup” — Feature 3D Animation, 1 episode, produced end-to-end by SceneMixer from the script · watch the episodes

If you catch yourself rewriting the same idea in five places, that is an AI edit. If you know the exact words, type them.

What only editing by hand can do

Add or remove a shot, or change how many seconds a shot lasts. Shot seconds and timing.
Insert a character, location, prop or voice as a chip with the @ menu. The @ menu.
Write exact words, exactly where you want them.

Editing by hand costs nothing. What you can change in the storyboard.

What AI edit is good at

A change that touches several shots: a mood, a relationship, a character removed.
Rewording in the voice of the rest of the text, in the language it is in.
Camera and staging described in words, when you know the effect but not the phrasing.
Adding a voice-over line in the right place and format.

It checks its own work: the number of shots, their numbers and seconds, the header lines, the names it uses and the language must all match, or the revision is dropped and you are not charged. Eight quick requests with examples.

What AI edit will not do

Add or remove shots, change seconds, bring in a character or location that is not in the project as a proper chip, or add or drop more than two lines of dialogue in one go. When a request needs one of these, it is refused at no charge, and the message includes Open the editor → so you can do it by hand. While you type, a hint under the box warns you when a request looks like it adds shots or changes seconds.

Combining the two

Run AI edit for the broad change.
In Review changes, press Edit by hand: the normal editor opens with the AI’s version already in it.
Adjust what you like — a word, a number of seconds, a chip — and save.

Both kinds of save go into the segment’s text history, labelled Before an AI edit or Before a manual edit, so either can be undone. Text history.

Change	By hand	AI edit
Fix one word	Best	Works, but costs credits
Change the mood of the whole segment	Tedious	Best
Remove a character from several shots	Tedious	Best (up to two lines of dialogue per revision)
Add or remove a shot	Yes	No
Change a shot's seconds	Yes	No
Insert a character chip with @	Yes	Only characters already in the project
Price	Free	1 per revision shown

FAQ

Is editing by hand really free?

Yes. Only generating costs; saving text does not.

Does either one regenerate the video?

No. Both change the text. Regenerate the segment to see the change on video.

Can I undo an AI edit I saved?

Yes. Restore the previous text from History.

Why did AI edit send me to the editor?

The request needed a structural change it does not make: more or fewer shots, or different seconds.

Pick the right tool for the change

Structure by hand, wording by AI, and history keeps both undoable.

Open your project

Updated September 30, 2026